Hybrid Lunchbox Talk: From Soil to Sovereignty
Schedule
Thu Sep 11 2025 at 12:00 pm to 01:00 pm
UTC-04:00Location
100 Old Mason Farm Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, United States, North Carolina 27517 | Chapel Hill, NC
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With Ashlie Thomas, author, nutrition scientist, and home gardening advocateThursday, September 11
12-1 p.m.
Hybrid: In-person and on Zoom
Free!
Register: https://reg.learningstream.com/reg/event_page.aspx?ek=0005-0014-d6c6b8e131104ef495e4a9407cf0077a
Can a garden change how we understand health and wellness? This talk explores the dynamic relationship between soil health, human behavior, and food sovereignty rooted in what science and experience can teach us about staying well through the simple act of growing food.
Ashlie Thomas will show how gardens can shift habits, enhance dietary quality, and spark community-driven strategies that address health disparities. She will break down the science behind soil microbiomes and nutrient density, the behavioral shifts that come with hands-on food production, and the broader implications for health equity in under-resourced communities.
This talk does not claim to offer a single solution. Instead, it invites a unique reframe that gardens, when used intentionally, can be part of a meaningful ecosystem for healing, agency, and systemic change.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Ashlie Thomas is a gardener, author, and nutrition scientist who believes growing food is one of the most powerful ways to nourish ourselves, our communities, and our future. Known on social media as The Mocha Gardener, she shares how gardening can be a tool for wellness, self-reliance, and reconnection—with food, land, and community. Her work has been featured by Better Homes & Gardens, NPR, NBC News, and other national outlets. She is also the author of How to Become a Gardener: Find Empowerment in Creating Your Own Food Security, a comprehensive guide that blends science with personal reflection to empower readers to reclaim their food authority and find strength and resilience through gardening.
With over a decade of experience in scientific research, food security advocacy, and applied health promotion, Ashlie brings a unique lens to her work. As a certified health coach, she’s supported individuals managing chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension. At the heart of her work is the belief that health is a human right—and that nutritious food, a healthy environment, and shared knowledge should never be a privilege. This conviction shapes her hands-on approach in local community gardens, where she develops and leads programs that integrate sustainable growing practices, culturally relevant nutrition education, and ecological awareness.
Ashlie serves on the Board of Directors for the Green Rural Redevelopment Organization (GRRO) and holds a master’s degree in food and nutritional sciences from North Carolina A&T State University. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Nutrition at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health where her research will explore public health and sustainable agriculture to create practical, equity-focused food system solutions.
Ashlie lives with her husband on their homestead in Sedalia, North Carolina, where they’re building a home, stewarding the land, and growing good food all year long.
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Where is it happening?
100 Old Mason Farm Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, United States, North Carolina 27517Event Location & Nearby Stays:
